ready to go. democrats in north carolina will kick off their 2012 convention in earnest. and this year the obama campaign says their voters are getting more excited in the build p up the president's speech thursday night rkt in which they are expecting 65,000 people to attend live. day one of the convention, a big night for the party. debb eber b eber debbie wassermz will gavel it in. 7:00, delegates will see a video message from former president jimmy carter. after 10:00, we'll hear from key note speaker and rising democratic star 37-year-old san antonio mayor hualien castro, the first latino to ever deliver that address. and then all eyes on the first lady. michelle obama will deliver what's expected to be a strong defense of her husband. the first lady sexpected to be character witness describing the

tough decisions the president has had to make. >> he failed peopilled people w this hundred running for president, make grandiose statements and promises which are just not true. >> meanwhile the president's other chief defender vice president joe biden is jumping right into the four years ago debate calling it a republican bumper sticker message. >> folks, let me make something clear. america is better off today than they left us when they left. you want to know whether we're better off? i got a little bumper sticker for you. osama bin laden is dead and general motors is alive. osama bin laden is dead and general motors is alive. osama bin laden is dead and general motors is alive. >> a lot to get to and we dive

right in and say good morning to our tuesday political power panel. correspondent for "time" magazine, democratic strategist and president of the bernard center for women. great to see all three of you. michelle obama really is the president's secret weapon. our july poll putting her approval at 54%. she told sirius xm radio's joe madison that she will remind people about the values that drove my husband to do what he has done and what he's going to do for the next four years. the truth is that he's grown so much, but in terms of his core character and values, that has not changed at all. is she making it a clear distinction there with what voters will get with the other candidate, mitt romney? >> well, she can do something that no one else can and that's be the biographer and chief of her president and husband. she's the person who is best qualified to talk to us about

his values and how they inform his decisions. you know, that's not really a defense which is what you said at the opening of the segment. that's really a statement about how he makes his decisions and how he'll move forward. that's an understanding of the kind of man and leader he is and she is the best qualified person to lay that out for the american people. >> so we kchbt talk about the first lady's speech without reminding everybody about ann romney and her speech last week which got very political saying we built that which was the slogan that we heard in the first night, making an overt appeal to women. does the first lady walk a firn line finer line of staying nonpolitical about what the vision is for the next four years? >> absolutely. i think michelle obama needs to stay more aspirational. mrs. romney had to give the speech that she gave last week. michelle obama is in a completely different position. people will be looking at her and they're also going to be remembering that question that we keep hearing, are you better

off today than you were four years ago. and the thing that the president and mrs. obama have going to them is that the president's like ability factor. people like him and they just need more reinforcement from mrs. obama that is he a good husband, that he is a good father, that he has the likes and the dreams and the wishes and aspirations of all americans particularly women. particularly children. hispanics, african-americans, the whole country at heart. and for that reason, i think it will be critical that mrs. obama remain aspirational in terms of her speaking style tonight. >> so as michelle brings up likability, let's talk about former president bill clinton. he continues to fascinate the masses. he addresses the convention wednesday night putting barack obama's name in the nomination. something no former president has ever done. how critical a messenger is bill clinton? >> huge. he's in ads running pretty

regularly in swing states. the obama campaign sees bill clinton as their main bridge to the i'm they want to compare to the recent troubles. he's the last president that americans have experienced during a time of a real economic boone that didn't happen during the bush years. hasn't happened the last three years of the obama years. obama's central argument is the next four years will be more like the clinton renaissance. and the other thing clinton can do is hit that card on some of the attacks that mitt romney has put forward especially around the issue of welfare. the central message right now, the romney campaign is based on sort of a misreading of this waiver that obama put forward for welfare to work. obama's -- i mean clinton is the perfect messenger to step into say that was my bill, i know what that was about. what the romney campaign is doing right now is just plain false. >> and he still has the highest approval rating of any president

including ronald reagan. certainly the clinton years were not without scandal. why does he continue to fa fascinate? >> it's because he performed as a leader. and i actually think his role and involvement in advocating for the american people and for this president is a demonstration actually of great things that barack obama is doing. he and his team are not shy to think outside the box, to bring the best messengers forward as a part of their team and i think it's really a demonstration of tremendous confidence on his part to build that team around him and bring together the people who can help him get the message out. why one thing for certain paul ryan is fulfilling his role as attack dog hammering away at the president's record. here's what he had to say on the campaign trail yesterday. >> the president can say a lot of things and he will. but he can't tell you that you're better off. simply put, the jimmy carter years look like the good old days compared to where we are right now.

>> so when we talk about trying to link president obama to president jimmy carter and we'll remind everybody there is a video message tonight from carter, is that a mistake? because i'm a gen xer. i remember getting in gas lines with my mom in maryland on the odd/even license plate days. we had an energy crisis. we had the iran hostage situation. this president, we don't have a current energy cry city. the stock market is about 13,000. we don't have a situation certainly with a foreign policy president situation. he's considered a foreign policy hawk. is that a misstep? >> i don't think so, not for republicans, not for a lot of independents who are really disappointed with how these four years have gone. the romney narrative from the beginning is that this election will be like 1980 was, a real change election, a year that

people are just so unhappy with the way the country is going in the final week after the debates, the american people will look at the two candidates who believe that mitt romney has proved himself and then will swing heavily in his direction. that's their theory of the case. and to build that, they're make has gone case. they're trying to paint, you know -- it's actually interesting. barack obama has long admired the reagan presidency. he's always seen himself as sort of a progressive answer. and the romney campaign is determined to make sure that he go down in history as jimmy carter and not ronald reagan. >> michelle, let's get more into the are we better off message and see where we are. median household income has dropped during the president's first toeerm. but unemployment has also dropped from over 9% in the first year to just over 8%. so we've got mixed economic factors. has the president had enough time to battle the hand that he was dealt? >> well, that's the argument

that the president is going to make. i think one of things that we'll see coming out of this democratic convention is people going back and literally going back and saying look back to where we were in 2008 and 2009 when the president first came into office and the country was literally on the verge of the great depression. if they can go back and say that it takes time and that there is absolutely so much that has to be done to pull us out of where we were headed when he took off, he will have an answer to that question. but i also think, thomas, it's such a difficult question to answer that i think the other thing that we'll see them do is really focus on the difference between the two parties and one party, the democratic party, being the party of the people and the republican party being the party of the individual. that's what they'll hit home on. >> our tuesday political power panel. my thanks to all three of you. i appreciate it. as i mentioned earlier, one of the tasks on the convention agenda this afternoon is the vote on the official party platform. now, this year democrats are expected to make history with

the first ever endorsement of marriage equality. joining me from charlotte is mark murray. good to have you with me. as we talk about the platform, democrats will be the first major platform to endorse marriage equality and it will all happen in a state that backed the constitutional ban on gay and lesbian marriage over the summer. so what is the feeling this this afternoon about the vote that will take place there in charlotte? >> the reaction has to do with the historic nature of all of this. it was just a few months ago when president obama embraced gay marriage and of course after he did that, it became pretty much a fait accompli. when you look at it through a political lenses, the most fast naeting thing is that it really doesn't carry political risk for democrats particularly when you compare the 2004 when gay marriage was a pretty good element in the republican party's message, attacks on john kerry. so when you look at what's happening now and looking at all

thele po poll numbers, republic not mentioning gay marriage much. i think that's pretty significant. >> so as we talk about the foundation being established later today as we look ahead to the packed line up for tonight, a lot of raising stars, big names in the party. among them, cory booker, joe kennedy iii, rahm emanuel, lilly ledbetter. who is getting the big buzz and is this a makeup session for martin o'malley? >> the people i'm actually looking at, and of course you look at maryland governor martin o'malley who is definitely somebody. if you're looking ahead to the 2016 presidential race, he is somebody. massachusetts governor patrick due value mayenzuel duval. but his chief of staff, someone who knows his way with words and it will be a pretty interesting speech i bet. >> mark murray live for us in charlotte.

thank you, sir. another wisconsin lawmaker taking stage tonight for the democrats or this week, that is will be tammy baldwin, hoping to become the first openly gay u.s. senator. and we'll be speaking in prime time on thursday. she's going to join me next. meanwhile, her which iss with colleague paul ryan defends his convention speech and clarifies his comments about the president. and that gm plant in his own hometown? what did you think about the choice that we have right now? the picks we have for november. tweet me your thoughts. there is not the liberal america and conservative america. this is the united states of america. there is not a black america and a white america. and latino america. an asia american. there is the united states of america. we've all had those moments.

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democrats will be taking to the stage in charlotte have main objectives that each need to accomplish for their party. according to the obama campaign and nbc's first read, those objectives are present the economic choice between the obama and romney visions. talk about where the country has been and the tough decisions obama has made. make the case about whether the count where the down goes from here. one of the democrats speaking later this week is tammy baldwin in the middle of a pretty stuff race of her own.

she joins me today. it's great to have you with me. >> it's terrific to join you. >> as i mentioned, you're in a pretty tough faceoff of your own against tommy thompson. scott walker has been out there labeling you as an extreme liberal. how do you respond to that label and then what message do you hope to deliver when you address the convention later this week? >> i consider myself in the fine wisconsin progressive tradition. you know, as a republican, the founder of the progressive party at a time when he not the monopolies of the day had too much power in washington and in our state capital of madison and he wanted the people to have a stronger voice. these times are oddly familiar and i have always been a voice for the hard working middle class families of our state. tommy thompson ran off to washington and now working for lobbyists. and i think what people are going to be looking at on

november 6th when they go into the polling places, who is fighting for their jobs, who is fighting for a pair shot at the american dream. and that's what i've been doing. >> if elected, well then shift titles to calling you senator baldwin and you will be the first openly gay member of the senate. what does the vote mean to you on the party's platform and the race you're trying to run? >> i have to say when i heard the president back marriage equality and i heard his interview, it was really heartfelt and i think it described the journey that so many americans have taken as they've evolved ha ed their pos. and i'm proud to have a democratic platform that will contain and endorsement of marriage equality. and when you talk about what it means back home in wisconsin, you know, i use fairness as a value guide post. and i think all wisconsinites

do. it really goes back to the economic message of the day. if you work hard and play by the rule, you ought to be able to get ahead. and so this is the value of fairness as a guide post as we move forward and i think it really separates democrats from republicans in this particular election. >> as we talk about your home state, wisconsin's really never been hotter when it comes to talking about politics. i mean, the elect of scott walker and talking about your race. as we look at the numbers, mitt romney has closed the gap on the president in wisconsin. the president just two points ahead. 245 th that is within the margin of error. so what will it take to make sure wisconsin goes president obama's way? >> wisconsin has been a divided

state for years. it just so happens that in presidential years since 19 #84 it's always going blue. but do i expect to be a battle ground state not only in my race but in the presidential campaign. but one thing i can say having our state be in focus in terms of all the elections and political activity we've had in our state, we're ready. we're organized. i've never seen the state so organized. and so i think we'll see a high participation election. and i think the choice has never been clearer. again, whether my race for u.s. senate or the presidency. people understand what's at stake for our economy and getting ahead again. so people will be involved. >> how do you feel about thursday? is your speech ready? do you feel prepared? >> you know, i'm very excited about it. i recognize that the united states has seen some high

profile wisconsinites at the. convention. i'll take the stage and talk about the wisconsin i know, the heartland values of hard work and playing by the rules that guide us in the state of wisconsin. and i'm going to make the case that it's a clear choice and we need to reelect our president. and we need to elect me to the u.s. senate, too. >> congresswoman tammy baldwin, enjoy your time in charlotte. thanks for joining me today. prime time coverage begins at 7:00 p.m. eastern right here on msnbc. the place for politics. spiing of making history, 37-year-old san antonio mayor hualien castro becomes the first latino to deliver the key note at a democratic convention. a look at this rising star we could see echos of obama's on 2004 convention speech. we'll talk more about that and there is another castro we need to mention. actor jeff bridges plays bartender for the morning joe crew in charlotte. details ahead on how he makes a

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>> so the appearance was scheduled long before those photos were snapped in a vegas hotel room last month. much more on michelle's prime time moment. the first lady prepping for her big night at the dnc. what you can expect to hear from her, plus clarifying his comments and doubling down on comments about the gm plant that closed in his hometown. paul ryan explains what he really meant. [ male announcer ] at scottrade, we believe the more you know, the better you trade. so we have ongoing webinars and interactive learning, plus, in-branch seminars at over 500 locations, where our dedicated support teams help you know more so your money can do more. [ rodger ] at scottrade, seven dollar trades are just the start. our teams have the information you want when you need it.

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university. his party prepare to go kick off their convention in north carolina today at 5:00 p.m. eastern. tonight is the first lady's big night in charlotte. mitt romney will be largely off the trail today. he's taking advantage of the dnc to do debate prep in vermont. romney off the trail, his running mate on. paul ryan will be out on the road after delivering a pre-convention argument yesterday in north carolina. now, ryan has had two stops planned for today. around noon he'll speak at a victory rally in ohio. his second stop of the day is iowa. ron mott is traveling with congressman ryan. ron, good morning. >> reporter: good day to you. he's going to speak here later this afternoon. the ticket going aggressively after the young voter. in fact paul ryan has a line in his speech, we'll have to see if

he elicits that today, where he says a lot of folks who voted for president obama four years ago can't find work, they're sleeping on a twin bed looking up at a fade obama poster on the ceiling. this morning he was grilled by matt lauer on a number of fronts including his speech last wednesday at the convention this tampa where he appeared to link president obama to a plant in his own hometown. >> the president should be held to account for his broken promises. after our plant was shut down, he said he would lead an effort to retool a plant. it's still idle. lots of pipeeople i grew up wit still don't have those jobs there. so my point is this is yet another example of the president's broken promises. >> reporter: for a lot of folks out there who are tired of watching political ads on television, get ready for about two really difficult months for

you because the money is now flowing again for the romney/ryan ticket. take a look at the screen. they've raised $100 million in the month of august. they have a lot of cash now that they can tap into for this general election. so expect a lot of ads on television. >> and, ron, does it seem as if congressman ryan is spending a lot of time out there clarifying statements that he has made in just the last week? it seems as if he's being pressed to really double down on whether he's being truthful or not especially when it comes to his statements, his speech at the rnc or whether it's even his run time in a marathon. >> reporter: the dnc -- democrats hit him hard on his speech last wednesday, said it was full of misrepresentations and even use theed word lie. he did walk the commentses back about the marathon. he said he ran a sub three hour man thundershower. in fact he ran a four hour marathon and martin bashir pointed out his time was two minutes longer than sarah palin.

but i think with respect to the janesville plant because that got a lot of attention, he said that he did not say president obama is responsible for that plant closing, but that the president said that he would work to get that plant reopened and that has not happened. >> ron mott reporting from cedar rapids. thank you. the first lady has we've been talking about will speak at the convention tonight. and look at this, she is currently featured on the convention cover of "time" magazine. she's been one of her husband's strongest allies. and tonight she is expected to echo a middle class message she delivered last month in iowa. >> in the end, it all boils down to who you are and what you stand for. and we all know who my husband is don't we? he is the son of a single mother who struggled to put herself through school and pay the bills. >> let's talk more now with kelly wallace. great to see you. >> great to see you. >> let's dive in and talk about the first lady. and we can't talk about the first lady without talking about ann romney because we go apples to apples tonight.

but who are the women that i had guy with ann romney that will be different from the women that i had guy with the first lady? >> a great question. ann romney no doubt was reaching out to the women of america. reaching out to the moms. she made that point very clear. michelle obama will be doing a similar thing. and her favor ability ratings, that's why she's on the cover of "time" magazine, why she's speaking tonight. she's the most popular democrat in the country. and what speak can do is she can humanize the president, right? she can get away from the politics. he's the son of a single mother, a father to malia and sasha, how much she's seen firsthand. so she'll be trying to reach out to the women of america, but also trying to humanize him as a man, a husband, a father, a friend, a son. have one thing ann romney has done is be critical of the current president as well as be political about certain statements.

and we did build it. the most lady most likely not going to go down that. >> it will be interesting to see. most likely probably not. we're seeing her out on the stump and she can be forceful and she's gotten quite good if you you watch her. most likely because i think probably the political analysts think there's more to lose than gain. she's so popular, she's so likeable, so relatable, people think she's down to earth and. so that she's has more to lose in a way potentially if she goes political, but who knows. >> this is like her big hug tonight. her hug is her trademark. will is her hug to the american people. >> exactly. and she talks about that as a way of narrowing the gap. that hug is something she does on the stump all the time and tonight she'll do it in prime time. >> we will see the embrace tonight. kelly wallace, thanks for coming in. tonight san antonio mayor hualien castro will make history becoming the first la tee me to give the keynote address.

shall are calling the rising star. explain why was he selected and what is the democratic party hoping he'll be able to accomplish tonight. >> castro is very much like a young barack obama, raised by a single mother, brought himself up by the boot straps by just shear hard work and intelligence. and young castro will impart a message apparently on opportunity. he'll basically stress the democratic party is still the party that can give latinos sort of a helping hand when it comes to more educational opportunities. so he will stress this is the party of opportunity and the republican party cannot help over the 50,000 young latinos who turn 18 every month.

>> and both parties have been placing a heavy focus certainly on the latino voters. new numbers show latinos now make up 8.9% of the electorate. that is up a percentage point and a half since '08. what are the most important issues that each candidate needs to tackle to wing the confidence of the latinos? >> latinos did lose 66% of their household wealth during the great recession. it has been tough times. unemployment is over 10% among latinos. so last week in tampa, the republicans were saying you're not better off after these four years. but democrats are saying, however, that the affordable care act has brought health care and already benefits for so many millions of latinos and the increase of pell grants is an example of educational opportunities. so sort of that push and pull between republicans saying that you're better off having a change and democrats saying we

started the process and stick with us. >> and just to claire pie for everybody, because people watching will see double, they don't need to scratch their eyes because mayor castro will be introduced by his twin brother who also has a political future. >> that's right. his twin brother, joaquin, who is actually running for congress. so they are quite the dynamic duo. and they have been in some of the eyes of the media for a long time as promising young latinos. >> their biggest stage and audience so far. thank you, sandra. make sure you check out nbc latino.com for who are about the latino vote this election. president obama won north carolina in '08 just by 14,000 votes with a lot of help from african-american voters. will they have his back once again? also how do you think the minority factor will play out in this election? tweet me your thoughts. we make a simple thing.

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back to the news. the president was given a sick patient, a sick economy. his first thing was to stabilize the patient and then start putting in a remedy. we now have 29 consecutive months of private sector job growth. people are going back to work. people are being energized. i do not believe for one moment that the electorate out there is not going to be energized to this campaign. >> that's jim clyburn talking about party enthusiasm. right now the latest polls show mitt romney with a narrow lead in north carolina. but if african-americans turn out in force, it could spell a critical victory for the president. you'll remember president obama won north carolina by over

14,000 votes in '0'08. 95% of african-americans voting for problesident obama. craig melvin joins me live and he's been investigating what it's looking like in north carolina as it regards to the black vote. and the turn joet. and enthusiasm is the big question. >> no one thinks that the president's obviously going to lose black voters in north carolina, but the concern for the obama campaign is if they see even the smallest decrease in turnout that could spell trouble. and the latest nbc battleground north carolina one of the most likely to go from blue to red. places like raleigh and charlotte. a lot has happened in the tar hill state over the past four years. this morning a look at a few of the things working for and against the president will time

around. for 17 years, michelle walker spent her days as an analyst. now she spends many of them here at the unemployment center. >> i got laid off due it to the merger of two companies. >> reporter: walker has a lot of company. the tar hill state's unemployment rate is 9.6%. for african-americans, it's 19%. >> they're expecting black people to come out by the droves and to reelect them into office. >> reporter: two years ago, bill randall ran for congress as a republican and is certainly rampant joblessness will hurt the president and democrats. >> they don't have any solutions. >> reporter: another possible barrier between black voters and president obama this time -- >> i think same-sex couples should be able to get married. >> reporter: the day after north carolina voters, many of them african-american, voted overwhelmingly to ban same-sex marriage, president obama family usually endorsed it. >> it won't be decided on that one issue.

>> reporter: based on conversations he had with voters, reverend barber thinks it will be about more. >> education, jobs, economy, poverty, protection of civil rights. >> reporter: the state's naacp was one of the groups that successfully lobbied the legislature to keep intact something that happened president obama immensely four years ago. early voting. >> something like half of the president's vote here in north carolina was actually cast before election day. so it was a tremendous tool used mainly by the democrats. >> reporter: team obama will rely on that again, but to win this time around, they'll have to encourage more voters to separate their hardship from the president. there seems to be hope. >> we didn't expect in four years all the jobs will be right back. so we're very patient with the president. >> reporter: so is michelle walker. she's taking time off from the job search to volunteer for the

obama campaign. >> yes, still as enthusiastic. >> meanwhile mitt romney has made no inroads with black voters. several recent polls show the republican nominee at or near 0% with that particular voting bloc. that being said, a number of recent polls show mitt romney ahead in north carolina. and if money becomes a problem for team obama, some are suggesting that north carolina will be the first state that they leave. and it should be noted that president himself has not visited north carolina since april. a lot of folks point to that as more proof that maybe democrats are really worried about north carolina becoming a red state once again. >> we know he'll be there later this week, that for issusure. and joining me no is sheila jackson lee of texas' 18th district. great to have you here. the president's victory there in '08, it was historic. first time since jimmy carter we saw north carolina go from red to blue, but this light of the

job's jobless rating including 19% black unemployment, almost double the state's overall unemployment figure are african-american voters less enthusiastic this time around and with good reason? >> it's good to be with you. and i'm delighted to represent the democratic party. president obama, which is the american all-inclusive party. african-americans are part of that inclusiveness. they are part of the thinking voters that understand that america is moving forward. so our voters will recognize the hardships that we are trying to overcome. frankly, however, tleel liz that the equality and social opportunities are premiere to improving their economic opportunities. and i might just say that not only the spirit, but the sacrifice of dr. martin luther king is well embeddeded in african-american voters throughout the nation. we don't want to go back to our

social and civil rights being denied for promises about our economic rights. we realize president obama is standing with us on economic rights, education, pell grants which will be cut by the romney administration, medicare which will be cut by the romney administration, unemployment insurance which is necessary for those trying to get a job will be cut by the romney administration. and investment in infrastructure which will be cut by the romney administration, african-american voters are not monolithic, they don't think this one way. they think holistically. i believe the enthusiasm level are rise and rise and north carolina will be in the column along with new mexico. i'd like texas. new mexico and our southwestern states with the hispanic vote and certainly women will remember in november. this is going to be a vote for going forward and not going backward. >> one issue impacting minority voters is voter i.d.

in your home state, a federal appeals court tossed out a voter i.d. law saying it was a burden on the poor. governor perry responded by saying chalk up another victory for fraud. with 19 states now involved in this fight, why does the republican party, the party of smaller government and less tax to institute more red tape and basically a poll tax on americans to vote? >> i think the question is enormously astute. this is the party of lincoln that obviously viewed the emancipation of all people as a crucial element of america going forward. the extremists in the republican party have exaggerated the issue of fraud. they well know that impersonating a voter is not a percentage of fraud that can in any way be affected by a voter i.d. what will the voter i.d. do? it will literally take away votes from every american. it denies an american a vote, if they cannot find their birth

certificate, if they are 80 years old or 75 years old or a veteran, or disabled. it will deny them a vote if they cannot get to the department of public safety office in texas, for example, a poll tax so they can't afford to pay. i am delighted with the court of appeals decision because it is not a decision for african-americans. it is one for america. one vote, one person. i'm proud to champion that. president obama champions that because it was his department of justice that went about the country to challenge those votes. thank the people of ohio that retained their rights by voting against the state passed the kasich voting i.d. law, repressive voting i.d. law. when americans wake up and determine their voting rights are important, they turned that around. >> congresswoman sheila jackson lee, enjoy your time in charlotte. look! she wears the scarlet markings!

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a look at the democratic national convention by the numbers. there are more than 5500 delegates, 407 alternates, 50% are women. 27% are african-americans. the youth vote represented as well, 285 are currently in school. the youngest delegate, just 18 years old. there will be 4,000 convention watch parties at homes across the country. we thank our friends over at politico for compiling those numbers. as you know, yesterday was labor day. for republicans it was also national empty chair day in support of actor clint eastwood after his unique, as ann romney put it, convention speech. users tweeting a bunch of their empty chair pictures. the hash tag, empty chair day was trending on twitter. nicki minaj is apparently on board with the romney team. the endorsement of sorts came in the form of a rap song "mercy" with lil' wayne. check it out.

all right. there you have it. that's her statement. that's all we can play of what she had to say even on cable tv. you can figure it out for yourself. that will wrap things up for me. see you back here tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. eastern. join me on the show as we have congressman elijah cummings, ron reagan, nancy keenan, plus melissa harris-perry and joy ann reed. alex wagner is coming up next. she says everything she's big enough to say on cable tv. hey, alex. i don't say everything, thomas. >> oh, come on, now. commercial breaks. >> yes. that's true. coming up, get carter. team romney jumps in the way-back machine, recalling the 1980 race with the attack line "are you better off than you were four years ago" but is the killer rabbit critique fair? we will sort through the facts with former white house economic advisor, jared bernstein. plus, ladies night at the democratic national convention. we preview the first lady's speech and examine her broader

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